Island honor students launch sneaker drive for those in need

For the second successive year the Shelter Island School National Honor Society is collecting wearable athletic sneakers to contribute to GotSneakers, an environmental and economic sustainability company that pays $3 a pair and processes them for distribution to those in need around the world.

Last year, local National Honor Society members raised $250 they contributed to the Progeria Foundation and will choose a charity to which this year’s profits will be given. The foundation raises money for research, treatments and the effort to find a cure for Progeria, which results in extreme premature aging and its related disorders, including heart disease.

As for the sneaker distribution, the recycled footwear helps provide them to the more than 600 million adults and children worldwide who are barefoot.

“We can touch the lives of thousands by simply cleaning out our closets and collecting our unwanted sneakers,” said Janine Mahoney, adviser to the National Honor Society. 

“There is no limit to the amount of money we can earn,” she said.

Not only do the sneakers benefit those who need them, but with an estimated 300 million pairs currently thrown away in landfills throughout the United States instead of being recycled, the effort is environmentally protective.

A blue bin will be in the school lobby and she’s hoping the community will step up again this year and deposit their used sneakers to the cause.